Petition to Change Names of Stuart and Lee HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

but there is significant social research suggesting that forcing minority students to attend schools named to honor Confederate heroes has a negative impact.

Please cite your source on this "significant social research".

Also, minority students, like all students, are forced to attend schools with all kinds of names because of compulsory education laws (state). The locals mandate which schools will be attended based on geographic location of residence.

Maybe it is time to change the names of these schools. But I find it very dubious that the name of the school is affecting students negatively to any real degree. Many of the students at Lee don't even know who Robert E. Lee was (I am not kidding you---it's mostly because they have not been in the US long enough to know). I suppose they find out when they get to the 11th grade US history course, but I'm not sure they suddenly feel a negative impact at that point.

Can you actually point to a situation where a white child in this country is zoned to a school named for someone who fought to maintain an institution that was as horrible for white people as slavery was for AA's?

And am I correctly understanding your second argument that the students of color couldn't possibly mind the names because they are too ignorant? If we find one who does object, will you call them uppity next?

As a white kid, I can say that part of my white privilege allows me to pay no attention to names of places, offensive or inoffensive. Or maybe that's just general obliviousness.

That argument doesn't apply to Woodson, though.

[Anonymous]

The school wasn't named after Lee because of his success at West Point, orr Lincoln's esteem for him, and you know that. It was named for him because he had led an armed war against the United States, at a time (1958) when Virginia was resisting the Supreme Court's mandates to integrate the public schools.[/quote]

I am curious about this. Were the other places named after Lee done because Lee was a historical figure or were they named for Lee because of some form or "resistance". How do you know that there was such an intent in the naming of the school? Should such an intention be considered in renaming other places (roads, parks, etc.)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lee should be dropped from W-L.

Can we keep the memorial to Traveller at W&L?

[Anonymous]

And am I correctly understanding your second argument that the students of color couldn't possibly mind the names because they are too ignorant? If we find one who does object, will you call them uppity next?

I was not arguing anything there. Just stating a fact---that many do not know who Robert E. Lee was. You are not correctly understanding. I think they should learn history and it's sad that they haven't. No value judgment was being implied about being "ignorant" or "uppity". Your understanding is very strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Lee should be dropped from W-L.


Can we keep the memorial to Traveller at W&L?

Is that memorial at Washington-Lee HS or at Washington and Lee University?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Lee should be dropped from W-L.


Can we keep the memorial to Traveller at W&L?

Is that memorial at Washington-Lee HS or at Washington and Lee University?

The university. But if we're changing names, then we'd change that one too.

[Anonymous]

I guess the phrase "check your privilege" sounds glib, but it's surely applicable to the knee-jerk response of many whites to any suggestion that naming schools after men who fought to defend the institution of slavery might make minority students feel less than fully welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lee should be dropped from W-L.

http://www.arlnow.com/2013/08/13/morning-poll-should-washington-lee-hs-be-renamed/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And am I correctly understanding your second argument that the students of color couldn't possibly mind the names because they are too ignorant? If we find one who does object, will you call them uppity next?

I was not arguing anything there. Just stating a fact---that many do not know who Robert E. Lee was. You are not correctly understanding. I think they should learn history and it's sad that they haven't. No value judgment was being implied about being "ignorant" or "uppity". Your understanding is very strange.

"They"? You're passing judgment on every student of color at the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Lee should be dropped from W-L.


Can we keep the memorial to Traveller at W&L?

Is that memorial at Washington-Lee HS or at Washington and Lee University?

The university. But if we're changing names, then we'd change that one too.

Except that one is a private institution, that was given the name in the 1870's to recognize Robert E. Lee's role as president of the college. The other is a government institution, was named in the 1950's to recognize Lee's role in a the war, and send a clear message to those who were trying to integrate the school.

Private institutions can do as they choose. Government institutions should not celebrate or honor people who fought to destroy this country and continue the institution of slavery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess the phrase "check your privilege" sounds glib, but it's surely applicable to the knee-jerk response of many whites to any suggestion that naming schools after men who fought to defend the institution of slavery might make minority students feel less than fully welcome.

I admit, I'm of two minds on the idea. The original idea of not demonizing the South, of reuniting into one country after the Civil War, accepting our complicated history, favors keeping these names as they are. But maybe we've moved past our history and are ready to change these names in order to make the effort to explicitly include everyone.

The man who purchased the car from the TV show Dukes of Hazzard is going to repaint it. I don't understand the point of that at all. So what do I know?

[Anonymous]

https://www.change.org/p/america-change-the-name-of-cracker-barrel-to-caucasian-barrel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And am I correctly understanding your second argument that the students of color couldn't possibly mind the names because they are too ignorant? If we find one who does object, will you call them uppity next?

I was not arguing anything there. Just stating a fact---that many do not know who Robert E. Lee was. You are not correctly understanding. I think they should learn history and it's sad that they haven't. No value judgment was being implied about being "ignorant" or "uppity". Your understanding is very strange.

"They"? You're passing judgment on every student of color at the school?

She wasn't passing judgement on anyone. She never mentioned race or color. She said that many didn't know who Robert E. Lee was, because they were not in this country long enough to learn.
Quite putting words in her mouth.

[Anonymous]

^ Thank you for understanding my post. You are correct that I was talking about students who have not been in this country long enough to learn about this.

[Anonymous]

https://www.change.org/p/america-change-the-name-of-cracker-barrel-to-caucasian-barrel

Okay. Thanks for making me laugh. I always wondered about crackers coming in barrels.